1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ventilation apparatus for a fuel cell system which ventilates a fuel cell box after a fuel cell is shut down.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, fuel cell powered vehicles which use fuel cells for driving power are being investigated as part of a trend towards becoming practical vehicles. Fuel cells obtain power by causing an electrochemical reaction between a supplied fuel gas (such as hydrogen) and an oxidizing gas (such as air containing oxygen). For installation of the fuel cell in vehicles, a method of housing the fuel cell in a fuel cell box in order to protect the fuel cell from the outside is being investigated.
The provision of an extractor fan in the fuel cell box in order to reduce hydrogen concentration within the fuel cell box is being investigated. Because it is necessary for this extractor fan to operate even after the fuel cell power is shut down, it has been considered to drive this by means of an auxiliary battery, which drives auxiliary equipment.
However, when the auxiliary battery deteriorates so that the expected power is not obtained, there are times when the extractor fan cannot be driven sufficiently.